The Bozeman weekly chronicle., 1887-05-11
Filing Its Pre-EmptiOn.

Little Deer Lodge Canon, or as it is
more commonly known of late, Silver
Bow Canon, was again The scene of active
grading operations this week, as it was
in the days when the Utah & Northern
was being graded, and the Northern Pa
cific having abandoned the proposed
Hump route" was contesting with it
for points Of vantage in the canon, when
"graders" got SIS per day-about forty
cents of it being properly chargeable to
labor occount," and 81 60 to ability to
pack six-shooter, and handle it if oc.
casion required. However, the North
ern gave up the plan of reaching Butte
and the U. & N. wound its roadway
through the sinuosities of the canon in
such tcrtuous way that another COM
pany would have much difficulty or ex-
pense in grading the rival line.
The Union Pacific has long had it un-
der consideration to extend its line
through Anaconda to Philipsburg or in
that direction, but the unfavorable ac-
tion of Congress at its last session seemed
to compel its REIMBURSEMENT ofex.ension
projects for this year at least and work
was discontinued on lines it made pre-
liminary surveys Of Meantime the
Montana Central, as an extension of the
Manitoba road, is being constructed via
Helena and Butte, and had developed its
plans BY a prelimintry survey of going to
Anaconda, and thence ''out west" Here
was new rival coming into the field,
and as an outside interference between
a quarreling man and wife generally
results in their uniting to baste him, 50
the Central's plan apparently reconciled
all old differences between the o. P, the
N. P. and their legitimate issue. the
Montana Union. Last Saturday evening
Union Pacific engineer noticed the de-
parture of several teams carrying men
from Butte toward Silver Bow, and his
suspicious being aroused that they we're
Montana Central men heading for the
canon with view to complying with the
Territorial law, which requires not only
a survey, but the breaking of ground on
a proposed line, to give it precedence and
right to said line. This departure of an
evenings expedition was promptly com.
municated to Superintendent Dawson,
and by II O'Clock that night he had en-
gineers and train of workmen-which
John O'Neill reports at about 100 men,
on the way to the canon, where they
went promptly to work Strengthening up
the curves of the Montana Union, which
were found entirely too sharp for the
proper operation of the road; and it is
remarkable how the grading on the pro-
posed new line interfered with the pro-
posed Montana Central line. In fact, it
seems to have been found desirable to
occupy almost the precise line run by the
Central, and will throw the Anaconda
branch out near the mouth of the can
on and via Gregson Springs tn Anaconda.
saving grade both ways for the heavy
smelter trains between Anaconda and
Butte. 1t seems SO strange it was not
thought of before. 1t was promptly
executed movement, strategically and
tactically.
We have an idea that this really
means something more than appears on
the surface. The U. P. is now SO situated
that the extension of its line from Dill
Ion, via the Jefferson, to Helena cannot
be builtthis season and the Northern Pa
cifia is throwing in side lines to Gallatin
and Madison county, with probably an
agreement between the two companies
as to future extensions. But the North
ern Pacific, the day the Utah & Northern
is spread to standard gauge, can let Union
Pacific trains into Helena over the Mon.
tana Union and its line, and the two
unit against the Montana Central, which
each looks upon as daring new rival to
be opposed. We predict that such will
he the result. with competition that will
be beneficial to Montana.-New North
uaSt